Lupus Study Showed Vitamin D Did Not Improve Bone Health
September 19, 2019 A small clinical trial published in Lupus Science & Medicine found that taking vitamin D supplements did not improve bone health for people with lupus. Conducted by several lupus experts throughout the U.S., the study looked at the effect of vitamin D supplements on changes in bone turnover markers that indicate changes […]
Lupus Research Alliance Grants Lupus Innovation Awards to Eleven Talented Researchers to Accelerate Pace of Discovery in Lupus Research
The Lupus Research Alliance (LRA) is proud to announce the recipients of this year’s Lupus Innovation Award (LIA), addressing many critical themes in lupus research including novel therapeutic strategies, the impact of chronic inflammation, and the identification of biomarkers for improved diagnosis and monitoring. These prestigious grants provide investigators from around the world with up […]
Osteporosis
A skeletal disorder characterized by compromised bone strength predisposing to an increased risk of fracture. Bone strength reflects the integration of two main features: bone density and bone quality. Bone density is expressed as grams of mineral per area or volume and in any given individual is determined by peak bone mass and amount of […]
Exercise for People with Lupus*
April 18, 2019 According to Henry Ford, “Exercise is bunk. If you are healthy, you don’t need it: if you are sick you should not take it.” Just the opposite says Clinical Specialist Exercise Physiologist Heather Milton, MS, RCEP, CSCS at NYU Langone Medical Center Sports Performance Center. Presenting at the Lupus Lifestyle Series sponsored […]
Dysfunctional Red Blood Cells in Children Identified as a Potential Root Cause of Lupus
Research Funded by the Lupus Research Alliance Published in Today’s “Cell” NEW YORK, NY August 11, 2021. Pediatric lupus expert Virginia Pascual, MD together with her junior colleague Simone Caielli, PhD and their team at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York identified problems in the red blood cells of children with active Systemic Lupus […]
Pivotal LRA-Funded Research Shared at Annual Rheumatology Meeting
November 15, 2021 The Lupus Research Alliance (LRA) supports research into causes and mechanisms of lupus, and identification of targets supporting the development of new therapies or cures for lupus patients. At this year’s meeting of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), 17 LRA-funded researchers presented their work to share discoveries with the thousands of […]
Jennifer Young’s Powerful Advice: “Don’t lose hope, find your people.”
Jennifer shares her mother’s lupus journey and the impact of LRA-funded research Growing up in the New Jersey suburbs, Jennifer Young never looked at her mom as “different”. In fact, Jennifer remembers her mom juggling motherhood and a full-time job with grace. Life was happy and seemingly normal. But as the eldest sibling, Jennifer saw […]
Aggrecan
Aggrecan is a type of protein known as a proteoglycan, which means it has several sugar molecules attached to it. It is the most abundant proteoglycan in cartilage, a tough, flexible tissue that makes up much of the skeleton during early development. Most cartilage is later converted to bone (a process called ossification), except for […]
Anemia
Anemia is a condition in which the body does not have enough healthy red blood cells. Red blood cells provide oxygen to body tissues. Possible causes of anemia include: Long-term (chronic) diseases such as chronic kidney disease, cancer, ulcerative colitis, or rheumatoid arthritis Destruction of red blood cells earlier than normal (which may be caused […]
B Cells
A type of white blood cell that makes antibodies. B lymphocytes are part of the immune system and develop from stem cells in the bone marrow. Source: NIH.gov
Bursa
A bursa is a small, fluid-filled sac that acts as a cushion between a bone and other moving body parts such as muscles, tendons, or skin. Bursae are found throughout the body. Bursitis occurs when a bursa becomes swollen. Source: NIAMS.NIH.gov
Decorin
Decorin is a protein coded for by the DCN gene. This protein is a component of the extracellular matrix, which is the intricate lattice of proteins and other molecules that forms in the spaces between cells. Decorin is found in the extracellular matrix of a variety of connective tissues, including skin, tendon, bone, and cartilage. […]